Lubricator retainers



June 1, 1965 E. R. GoRcYcA LUBRICATOR RETAINERS Filed May l5, 1963 IO`l Q PC law, s no a nR L 11a L w 1Q E United States Patente() This invention relates to a retainer for securing a journal lubricator against substantial displacement Within the journal box of a railroad car in which the lubricator is located.

The axles of railroad freight cars are usually supported for rotation by so-called segment bearings located within the journal boxes of the cars, and in order to afford y yan adequate film of lubricating oil between the journal and the face of the bearing on which the journal rotates,

it is customary, particularly in recent years, to feed lubricating oil from the bottom of the journal box to the lower part of the journal by means of an oil-absorbent lubricating pad.

Frequently, the oil absorbent capacity of the lubricating pad is represented by a sponge-like block of oil resistant foam rubber or the like disposed within a pocket afforded by a fabric cover of wick-like material that is a part of the lubricator.

It is important to secure the lubricating pad within the journal box against any substantial displacement toward one side of the journal box as an incident to rotation of the car journal. Thus, when the railroad car is in motion, the rotating journal tends to crowd the lubricator to one side of the journal box, displacing the lubricator out of the deepest part of the oil reservoir. Such an occurrence could lead to the encouragement of a hot box condition, since it will be realized that particularly in the instance of a journal box in which the oil supply has been somewhat depleted, the lubricator may be displaced to such an extent that it is no longer in contact with the oil level.

It has therefore been proposed to equip a lubricator with a retainer intended to hold the lubricator centered in the journal box. In most instances, these retainers are an integral part of the lubricator pad and project therefrom in position to engage the so-called stop columns within the journal box, thereby confining the lubricating pad to lateral motion within relatively well deiined limits. However, the provision of integral retainers can' constitute a material part of the cost of the lubricating pad and, of course, are wasted when the useful life of the lubricating pad has been exhausted. Moreover, there are circumstances where such integral retainers are not always feasible, and it is therefore the primary .object of the present invention to enable a lubricating pad to be secured against lateral displacement within a journal box by a retaining clip that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which, being formed from metal, is capable of an extended life.

Another object of the present invention is to so construct a separate retaining clip for a lubricator as to enable the same to be readily associated or disassociated from a lubricating pad with which the same is to be used.

Speciiically, it is an object of the present invention to construct a lubricating pad retaining clip from a single piece of metal so shaped at one end as to enable the) same to be anchored to a ange which aords the dust guard slot of the journal box and so shaped at the opposite end as to be embedded in the lubricating pad, whereby the lubricating pad in effect is strapped in the journal box to be relatively immovable.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which,

3,186,777 Patented June ice by way ofillustration, shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated Vapplying. that principle. vOther embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes maybe made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is aside elevation of the retainer clip of the present invention;

IFIG. 2 is a plan view of the retainer clip of the present Y invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View of a journal box having .a clip of the present invention installed therein; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lubricating pad in association with a retainer clip of the present invention.

The retainer of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the form of a one-piece metal stamping configured to afford a clip 10. Thus, the clip 10 includes an elongated flat body portion 12 generally rectangular in shape, that is adapted to seat flush against the bottom wall of the journal box JB, FIG. 3, of a railroad car having a lubricator 15, FIGS. 3 and 4, installed therein. The body portion 12 of the clip in the operative position thereof as shown in FIG. 3 is disposed lbetween the journal box and the lubricator.

The forward end of the clip 10 is bifurcated to present a pair of prongs 18 serving a purpose hereinafter described. Y

The opposite end of the clip 10 is bent upwardly at 20 in a direction normal to the plane of the body portion 1,2, then rearwardly at 21 parallel to the plane of the body portion 12 of the clip, and then downwardly at 22 substantially parallel to the leg portion 20. Such bending of the end of the clip opposite the prongs 18 affords a hook 25, FIG. 3, that presents a bight suflicient to hook over the forward ange 26 that in part defines the dust guard slots DS of the journal box. In this fashion the clip 10, hooked lto the clip or flange of the dust guard slot, is stabilized sufficiently against lateral motion within the journal box.

A lubricator with which the present retainer is to be used will be of so-called pad, form in tha-t the same embodies a soft cover and a resilient oil-absorbentV block surrounded by the cover. The pad 15 is Vtypical and includes a cover 30 shaped to afford Vtwo pockets in whichV are disposed resilient blocks of porous, oil absorbent material such as neoprene rubber or the like.

Under and in accordance with the present invention, the prongs of tines 18 or the retainer clip V1l) are bent rearwardly to be embedded in a soft portion of the lubricator pad as 15 as by clasping the edge of the cover 30 at the front end thereof. Hence, with the two prongs embedded in or clasping the front of the lubricator pad, and with the hook 25 at the rear of the clip embracing the lip of the dust guard slot in the journal box, as shown 'to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim: n

1. The combination of a lubricator and a retainer clip for use in a railroad journal box,-said lubricator having asoft and porous portion, said'retainer clip comprising aat elongatedbody portion generally'of rectangular contour, means affording a pair of prongs at one end of Vthebody portion and embedded in the soft portion of said lubricator upon bending the same in an appropriate direction, and said clipV at the opposite end being provided wit-h a hook adapted to embrace the forward lip of the dust guard slot of the journal box.

2.2In a railroad journal box having a dust guard slot, and a lubricator therein of pad form, aV retainer clip for stabilizing the lubricator and comprising Va clip of one-piece metal from including an elongated at, generally rectangular body portion disposed between the Ybottom wall of the journal box and the lubricating pad, said clip having at the rearward end thereof a hook engaging the lip of the dust guard slot in the journal box, and said clip having at the forward end thereof a Y pairv of prongs embedded in the lubricating pad.

3. "In a railroad journal box having a dust guard slot, and a lubricator therein of pad form, a retainer means for stabilizing the lubricator and .comprising an elongated ilat rectangular body portion disposed between the bottom Wall of the journal box and the lubricator pad, hook means at the rearward end of said retaining means for hooking engagement with the lip of the dust guard slot in the journal box, and prong means at the forward end of said retainer means embedded in the lubricating pad adapted tohold the lubricator fastened in position in the journal box. l

VReferences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,632,477 3/ 53 Weibel 2li-730 2,820,533 1/58 Mount.

2,898,648' `8/'59 Y Bright.

2,950,513 8/6() Cochran.

2,958,915 11/-60 Famberg.

3,021,581 2/62 Cook et al.

FRANK SUSKO, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A LUBRICATOR AND A RETAINER CLIP FOR USE IN A RAILROAD JOURNAL BOX, SAID LUBRICATOR HAVING A SOFT AND POROUS PORTION, SAID RETAINER CLIP COMPRISNG A FLAT ELONGATED BODY PORTION GENERALLY OF RECTANGULAR CONTOUR, MEANS AFFORDING A PAIR OF PRONGS AT ONE END OF THE BODY PORTION AND EMBEDDED IN THE SOFT PORTION OF SAID LUBRICATOR UPON BENDING THE SAME IN A APPROPRIATE DIRECTION, AND SAID CLIP AT THE OPPOSITE END BEING PROVIDED WITH A HOOK ADAPTED TO EMBRACE THE FORWARD LIP OF THE DUST GUARD SLOT OF THE JOURNAL BOX. 